Instagram couple who sparked fury by asking strangers to pay for their trip vow a year’s silence

A jet-setting Instagram couple who sparked outrage by begging strangers to help fund their lavish lifestyle have been slammed online again after they pledging to stay silent for a year.

Married German couple Catalin Onc and Elena Engelhardt were widely mocked in June when they set up a GoFundMe page asking for $AUD16,000 (£8,866) to pay for their tandem bike ride holiday to Africa.  

Mr Onc admitted his mother was working two jobs at the time to help him live his globetrotting lifestyle, and said working was ‘not an option’ for the couple.  

The massive backlash forced the controversial couple, who have travelled across Indonesia, Italy, Nepal, and Australia, to take a hiatus from social media, which lasted less than a week.

Instagram couple Catalin Onc and Elena Engelhardt (pictured) plan to take another break from social media with a year long vow of silence. They’re pictured on their recent travels in France

Mr Onc took to the couple’s Instagram page Another Beautiful Day on Sunday from Barcelona to announce to their 44,600 followers that they would soon stay silent for a year to ‘work on the way we communicate’ and write more.

‘People have had something to say about the way I look and the decisions I make for a long time and I’ve also been on the other end,’ he captioned a photo of himself.

‘With this post I want to announce that at some stage in the near future, possibly next year we will go into silence. 

‘We want to work on the way we communicate, so what better way then to simply listen and pay attention to all.’

Catalin Onc posted a photo of himself when he was 20 while announcing a vow of silence

Catalin Onc posted a photo of himself when he was 20 while announcing a vow of silence

He added the silence would last a year.

‘What will happen during this year is for me unimaginable, but that makes it very exciting,’ Mr Onc wrote.

‘Just wanted to put this out there so people don’t act surprised when it is happening. This is completely our own choice. 

‘Until then, let’s sponge up as much of everything as possible while we ride the bicycle on the west coast of Africa.’

The latest post sparked a flood of angry comments.

‘Maybe I have integrity, pride, a strong work ethic and could never shamelessly cyber pan handle when my mummy can’t afford my never ending travels/pretty pictures site all over the world anymore,’ one person posted. 

Another added: ‘You should try a year of working.’

The couple pledged to work on the way they communicate as they continue their travels

The couple pledged to work on the way they communicate as they continue their travels

One person suggested the couple give back the life taken from Mr Onc’s mum.

‘She deserves to be the one traveling and seeing the world and enjoying what nature has gifted us because shes earned it. How much life does she have? Will she ever get the chance?,’ they wrote.

But the couple did have some support.

‘Why are you all following them if you don’t believe in what they’re doing? Find someone who inspires you. Not someone to tear down. I don’t understand all the negativity. It’s Instagram,’ one wrote.

The GoFundMe page is still up, which has raised less than $1550, where the most current donation was two months ago.

‘We want to take you all on this huge adventure,’ the page states.

‘A celebration of life, as we ride freely across mountains, by the sea and through metropolitans. We will show the beauty of this planet and it’s inhabitants, but also the ugliness.’

‘But we can not do this on our own. We need you!’

The couple have recently been in Spain, where they went on a sail boat for the first time

The couple have recently been in Spain, where they went on a sail boat for the first time

The page added funds will go towards towards the bike and gear, food and accommodation, internet and SIM cards, insurance, emergencies. 

The couple claimed at the time that getting a job would be ‘detrimental’ and there aren’t many trades they are qualified for.

‘Some will just tell us to get jobs, like everyone else and stop begging. But when you have the impact we do on others’ life, getting a job is not an option,’ they wrote. 

 ‘We could model and make fast money, but we don’t want to advertise consumerism. A normal job at this point would be detrimental.’

Catalin Onc admits his mum worked two jobs to fund their travels

Mr Onc is joined on his travels by his wife Elena

The jetsetting couple have been inundated with public backlash about their lavish lifestyle

The couple announced at the time of the backlash they would be taking a break from social media, only to return to Instagram within days.

In the last six months, they have regularly posted photos of their travels in Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Monaco.

The couple took another recent break from social media while they volunteered at a Mallorca retreat centre on a Spanish island in the Mediterranean.

They will celebrate New Year’s Eve in Morocco.

The controversial couple will continue their tandem bike ride travels towards Africa

The controversial couple will continue their tandem bike ride travels towards Africa



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